Rotary explosive-engine.



J. W. DAWSON.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

AIPLIOATION FILED JULY 29, 1907 Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. DAWSON, OF YALESVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. DAWSON a citizen of the United States, andresident of Yalesville, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in R0-tary Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification Thisinvention has relation to rotary explosive engines of the compressiontype, and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of itsparts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide an engine having a rotarypiston provided with a series of cylinders in each of which is located areciprocating piston. The said pistons are geared up with the shaft ofthe engine and all coact in contributing momentum to the same. In theoperation of the engine the initial force or movement is transmitted tothe rotating piston from the explosion of compressed charges whichoperate upon the rotating piston successively, and the expansion of theexploded gases is also utilized to accelerate the movement of therotating piston. By such an arrangement the combined power or momentumof the rotating and reciprocating pistons is exerted upon the shaft ofthe engine from which part it may be utilized in operating portable orstationary machinery.

The engine consists primarily of a stationary casing provided with awater jacket and a shaft passing transversely through the same andjournaled for rotation; a rotating piston is fixed to the shaft and aseries of cylinders are arranged within the rotating piston but out ofalinement of the radii thereof. A reciprocating piston is located ineach cylinder and is connected with a minor crank-shaft, each of whichin turn is geared up with the major or primary shaft of the engine. Thefuel is first compressed preparatory to being fired and I provide means,as for instance a by pass valve for returning more or less of thecompressed fuel if desired in a way to regulate the operating of theengine. The casing is provided with explosion chambers and mixture inletports and exhaust while the rotating piston is provided with ports forrelieving the explosion chambers of burned gases. Each of the saidcylinders is surrounded by cooling flanges Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed July 29, 1907.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

Serial No. 386,062.

of peculiar arrangement, as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1, is a side elevation of theengine, with side plate covering gears removed. Fig. 2, is a centralvertical sectional view of the same as on line 22 of Fig. 5. Fig. 3, isa detail sectional view of a portion of the engine showing one of theexhaust passages thereof on line 2--2 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4c, is ahorizontal transverse sectional view of the engine. Fig. 5, is an edgeelevation of the rotating piston of the engine, as seen from the left ofFig. 2, and Fig. 6, is a side elevation of a by pass, used in the enginecasing.

The engine consists of the casing 1 which is mounted upon the base 2.The casing 1 is provided with a Water jacket 3 through which water orother cooling medium is circulated by way of the ports 4;. 4 representsa further opening for the introduction of a vaporizing coil, (notshown). The casing 1 is provided with a central circular opening 5 inwhich is located a rotating piston 6 having attached strips with bevelannular edges 6*, while a suitable bevel annular guide and packing strip6 secured within the circular opening of the casing fits against thebevel edge 6 of the attached strips of piston to pack the same. Thepiston is mounted upon the major or primary shaft 7 which passestransversely through the casing 1 and is journaled in suitable bearings8 provided therein. The piston 6 is fixed to the shaft 7 and rotateswith the same. The casing 1 is provided at opposite sides with explosionchambers or ignition chambers 9 in which are located the sparking plugs10 and which also forms a fixed head for each cylinder. The casing isalso provided with a mixture inlet 11, the inner portion of which isbifurcated by the cuneate portion 12. The rotating piston 6 is providedwith a series of cylinders 13, and as all of the said cylinders aresimilar and equipped with like parts a description of one will answerfor all. The longitudinal axis of each cylinder 13 is disposedtangentially from the periphery of the piston 6 toward the middle but isout of alinement with the radius thereof. As shown these cylinders arearranged at right. angles to each other and theirrear longitudinal wallsare on a line substantially with the center of the axis of the piston. A

reciprocating piston 14 is located in the cylinder 13 and is providedupon its inner face with a deflector 15. The minor crank shafts 16 arejournaled for rotation in the cylinders 13 and are provided at theirends with gear wheels 17 which mesh with the gear wheels 18 fixed to thehub 8 A pitman 19 connects the crank-shafts 16 with the pistons 14, andthe sides of the piston are recessed, as at 20, in order to receive thecrank-shafts 16 when moved toward the same. The roller packing 21 islocated in the periphery of the piston 6, and upon opposite sides of thecylinders 13. The piston 6 is provided in its periphery and near one ofits sides with the grooves 22, and the inlet ports 23 communicate withsaid grooves and with the inner ends of the cylinders 13. The sides ofthe cylinder 13 are channeled, as at 24, and the said channels areslightly longer than the pistons 14. The exhaust ports 25 communicate attheir inner ends with the intermediate portions of the cylinders 13 andat their outer end with the grooves 26 located in the periphery of thepiston 6 at the opposite side thereof from the grooves 22. The points ofcommunication between the outlet ports 25 and the cylinders 13 are outof alinement with the ends of the channels 24, and when the pistons 14do not cover the inner ends of the channels and the exhaust ports thedeflector 15 is interposed between the channels 24 and the exhaust ports25, so that the mixture cannot sweep directly through the cylinders 13from the channels 24 to the exhaust port 25 but must pass down into thesaid cylinders and sweep the same free of burned gases and products ofcom bustion.

The openin 5 of the casing 1 is provided in the path 0 the grooves 22with a groove -27 which communicates with the bifurcated ends of themixture inlet 11, and the inner side of the casing 1 is provided withgrooves 28 located in the path of the grooves 26 of the piston 6 andwhich communicate with the exhaust outlets 29 provided in the casing 1.The piston 6 is provided with the vents 30 which are adapted to sweepacross the explosion or ignition chambers 9 and relieve the same ofburned gases and products of combustion as the piston 6 rotates. Thecylinders 13 are provided upon their exteriors with the cooling flanges31 which are diagonally disposed upon the said cylinders, and which areair cooled as the piston 6 rotates. A by pass 32 is located on oppositesides of the casing 1 and are each adapted to be turned manually in itsbearings to allow an escape of more or less of the gas from thecylinders while passing over the inlet 32 and under compression tocontrol the amount of force of the explosion. The inlet of each by passconnects with a channel 33 which is brought into register or in the pathof an outlet 33 that may be connected with a suitable storage tank (notshown) and from there used for starting purposes.

The operation of the engine is as follows: The mixture is admittedthrough the inlet 11 into the groove 27. When one of the grooves 22moves into register with the groove 27 the mixture passes through thegroove 22 and inlet port 23 past the heck valve 23 into the connectingcylinder 13 be hind the piston 14 thereof. Presuming that said piston isin the position as indicated in the lower right hand portion of Fig. 2,the mixture passes 'down the channel 24 into the lower portion of thecylinders 13 and sweeps the burned gases therefrom forcing the latterthrough the outlet port 25, groove 26, groove 28 and outlet 29. Thus thecylinder 13 is filled with a charge of unexploded gas. As the piston 6rotates the said charge of gas is compressed by the piston 14, whichmoves longitudinally in the cylinder 13 as the said. piston rotates andwhen passing the by pass may be more or less released, if desired tolessen the force of the explosion. By the time that the cylinder 13arrives in register with the explosion chamber 9 the said volume of gashas been compressed and is .then fired through the instrumentality ofthe sparking plug 10 in the explosion chamber, and the, force of the gasthus ignited operates upon the rotary piston to drive the same, and isapplied directly to the reciprocating piston 14, which is moved towardthe middle of the piston 6 and the crank shaft 16 is carried around andthe movement thereof is transmitted through the gears 17 and 18 to themajor shaft 7. It will be noted that the construction of the engine issuch that the explosion is eifective intermediate the head formed infixed casing and the reciprocating pistons mounted in the rotary piston,which explosion serves as a force, to reciprocate the piston 14 to drivethe main or'rotary piston 6 by reason of the fact that the cylinder ismovable with relation to the head. As the gears 18 are made permanentwith the sides of the casing 1 the movement of the piston 6 isaccelerated, and as the piston 6 is fixed to the shaft 7 the saidmovement is transmitted to the said shaft. After the piston 14 is movedsufficiently to uncover the inner end of the exhaust port 25, theexploded gases enter the said port. and the expansion of the said gasesoperates between the inner side of the opening 5 as an abutment, and theinterior wall of the cylinder 13 and the end of the pis ton 14 and stillfurther augments the rotary movement of the piston 6 until the groove 26is passed into register with the groove 28 when the burned gases passout through the said groove and the exhaust outlet 29.

By reason of the fact that the cooling flanges 31 are obliquely disposedupon the exteriors of the cylinders 13, the said flanges do not cutthrough the air but keep the same in a state of agitation and operatesubstantially as fans for driving the warm air away from the rotatingpiston 6 and permitting cool air to take its place. In the form of theinvention shown four cylinders 13 are illustrated, although a greater orlesser number may be 'used if desired. The cylinders diagonally oppositeeach other are connected together by the ducts 34: so that the admissionof an explosive mixture to one is equivalent to admitting mixture toboth, as said mixture may pass from one to the other through the duct34. By this arrangement but one inlet for the mixture is necessary sinceit is passed from the near to the far cylinder, thus simultaneouslycharging both, while the exhaust outlets correspond in number with theexplosion chambers. The explosion chambers 9 are located in the path ofthe vents 30 and as the said vents pass across the said explosionchambers the burned gases contained within the said chambers pass fromthe same through the said vents.

What is claimed is 1. An engine as described comprising a cylindermounted for rotation about an axis and having obliquely disposed annularflanges upon its periphery.

2. An engine as described comprising a rotating piston, a cylinderarranged within the piston and having obliquely disposed annular flangesupon its periphery.

3. An engine as described comprising a rotating piston, cylindersarranged within the piston and having their rear walls in radialalinement with the center of the piston and having obliquely disposedflanges upon their periphery.

4:- An engine as described comprising a rotating piston, four cylindersmounted within the piston and arranged at a right angle to each otherwith their rear walls in radial alinement with the axis of the cylinderand having obliquely disposed flanges.

5. An engine comprising a stationary casing having a cylindrical openingtherein, ignition chambers formed 1n the opposite sides of the wall ofthe opening, a piston rotatably mounted within the opening having aseries of four cylinders formed therein and disposed at right angles toeach other and so situated withln the piston and with respect to saidoppositely located ignition chambers as to insure the simultaneousregistration of two of said cylinders with said chambers with eachrotation of the piston.

6. An engine comprising a stationary casing having a cylindrical openingtherein, ignition chambers located in opposite sides of the wall of theopening, a series of four cylinders tangentially arranged within thepiston adapted to register with. the ignition chambers before mentionedwith the rotation of the piston, rollers mounted in the periphery of thepiston intermediate of the said cylinders and adapted to engage theinternal wall of the opening of said casing to form a bearing and apacking intermediate of said cylinders.

7. An engine comprising a stationary casing having a cylindrical openingthere through, a. rotary piston mounted within the opening, cylindersformed in the piston,

ports to and from the cylinders, a by-pass valve located in the casing,at opposite points to control the force of the explosion and govern therunning of the engine.

8. An engine comprising a stationary casing having a cylindrical openingtherein, ports leading into the said opening, a piston rotatably mountedwithin the opening of the casing and having grooves in its peripheralsurface to register with the ports leading to the said grooves forconducting gas to the cylinder ports connecting the opposite side of thecylinder with the periphery of the piston and ports within thecylindrical wall of the casing to register with said ports from thepiston to form an exhaust for the cylinder.

9. An engine comprising a casing with a cylindrical opening therethroughhaving explosion chambers within the said opening, a piston mounted torotate within the opening and having a beveled annular edge, an annularguide and packing strip with a beveled edge to fit against the beveledside edge of the piston, cylinders within the piston to register withthe ignition chambers, reciprocating pistons located in the cylindersand being operatively connected with fixed portions of the casing.

10. An engine comprising a casing having a mixture inlet and exhaustoutlet and an opening forming a bearing for a piston, a piston mountedin the opening, cylinders tangentially arranged in the piston, ignitionchambers in the casing arranged diagonally with relation to the pistonto simultaneously register with two cylinders, reciprocating pistonslocated in said cylinders and being operatively connected with fixedportions of the casing.

11. An engine comprising a casing having explosion chambers, a pistonmounted for rotation in the casing, cylinders arranged upon the piston,reciprocating pistons located in said cylinders and being operativelyconnected with fixed portions of the casing, said rotating piston havingvents adapted to sweep across the explosion chambers of the casing.

12. An engine comprising a casing having a mixture inlet communicatingwith an internal groove located at one side of the casing, and exhaustoutlets communicating with internal grooves located at the opposite sideof the casing, a piston mounted for rotation piston, reciprocatingpistons located in said cylinders and being operatively connected withfixed portions of the casing, said rotating piston having inlet andexhaust ports which register with the inlet and exhaust groovesrespectively of said casing.

13. An engine comprising a casing having a mixture inlet and exhaustoutlets located at opposite sides of the casing, a piston mounted forrotation in the casing and having cylinders, reciprocating pistonslocated in said cylinders and being operatively connected with fixedportions of the casing, said rotating pistons having inlet and ex haustports adapted to register with the mixture inlet and exhaust outletsrespectively and successively in the casing.

14. A11 engine comprising a casing having a cylindrical opening therein,and ignition chambers formed in the Wall of said opening, a mixtureinlet through the said casing, a piston mounted for rotation in thecasing, cylinders arranged Within the piston and adapted to registerwith the said ignition chambers and having ports to register with themixture inlets, reciprocating pistons located in the cylinders and beingoperatively connected with fixed portions of the casing, said cylindershaving exhaust ports which communicate with the periphery of the piston.

15. An engine comprising a casing having a cylindrical opening therein,and ignition chambers formed in the wall ofsaid cylindrical opening, aninlet and exhaust outlets, through the said casing, a piston mounted forrotation in the opening of the casing, a cylinder arranged within thepiston adapted to register With the said ignition chambers, portsleading through the piston to and from the cylinder to register with theinlets and outlets of the casing, a reciprocating piston located in saidcylinder and being operatively connected with fixed portions of thecasing, the parts being so arranged that the reciprocating piston isoperated upon by an explosion of the mixture, and the rotation of therotary piston is accelerated by the expansion of the mixture afterexplosion has occurred.

16. An engine comprising a casing hava cylindrical opening therein andignition chambers within said opening, a single mix-' ture inlet throughthe said casing, a piston mounted for rotation in the openin of thecasing, cylinders arranged diagonal y opposite each other within thepiston forming pairs, ports connecting the alternate pairs of saidcylinders whereby the mixture is led from one to the other to insure thesimultaneously charging of the respective pairs of cylinders, ports toconnect the said cylinders with the mixture inlet, and exhaust outletsalso connected with the said cylinders to permit of the escape of theexploded gases.

Signed at Yalesville, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut this 22nd day of July, A. D., 1907.

JAMES WV. DAWSON.

